Rural communities develop child care models that can be reshaped to fit a community's unique needs

Medicine Lodge Daycare shares its building with
four other childcare providers.

As rural parents and government officials partner to address child care provider shortages, new business models that allow would-be home or niche child care providers to operate in non-residential buildings are catching on, reports Anne Vilen of The Daily Yonder. The innovative approaches are providing jobs, child care spots and in some cases, reinvigorating rural downtown spaces. 

The story of LeyAnn Gehlen-Wampler of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, serves as an example. After the birth of her first child, Gehlen-Wampler couldn't find a child care provider. She was considering opening her own child care center when "she met Julie Warner, an early childhood consultant for the city who had once been a family childcare provider herself," Vilen explains.

Gehlen-Wampler and Warner, along with city administrators, smart design and construction professionals, and a mix of grant funding, helped create a "cluster of small, fully equipped childcare businesses in a main street building," Vilen reports. "Although Gehlen-Wampler's Medicine Lodge Daycare occupies a commercial space in the heart of downtown, the building was renovated into five separate rooms with separate entrances and outside playgrounds ideal for five independent family childcare providers."

The child care complex has helped the town's economy too. Medicine Lodge city councilman Matt Forsyth told the Yonder, “What it means for downtown is huge. It keeps Main Street alive in a small town where most main streets are dying."

Now known as the "plex" model, creating more modular child care centers outside of a residential home can't be done in all states. Vilen writes, "Kansas is one of just seven states (the others are Alaska, Missouri, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada and Wisconsin) that allow family childcare providers to operate in non-residential settings such as schools, businesses, or hospitals."

Other rural areas are developing child care options similar to the complex structure but tailored to their specific needs. In Indiana, communities are participating in a "Micro-Facility Pilot program that launched in early 2025," Vilen adds. "Six existing child care centers applied to open smaller satellites in rural or small town libraries, schools, and shopping centers." 

Providers in Minnesota are experimenting with "child care pods," Vilen reports. "They allow children to bring their own lunches and snacks, support mixed-age groups, and draw on the resources of the larger micro-facility hub for staffing and administrative support."

Dollar General settles multiple suits for $15 million. Suits claim the chain regularly overcharged customers.

Dollar General headquarters in Goodlettsville, Tenn.
(Wikipedia photo)

Dollar General, a company that promises affordable food and staples in communities with few options, agreed to a $15 million settlement after being accused of consistently charging higher prices at the register than the prices it displayed on shelves. Many rural and urban customers can apply for repayments, reports Barry Yeoman of The Guardian.

The settlement ends lawsuits in several states that claimed Dollar General "overcharged customers at many of its 20,000 U.S. stores," Yeoman writes. "Many of the stores are located in rural towns and low-income urban neighborhoods with limited retail."

The day before the $15 million settlement was announced, Dollar General announced it settled for $1.55 millions with the state of Pennsylvania to "resolve similar allegations," Yeoman adds. "The chain’s 900 Pennsylvania stores failed more than 40% of their pricing accuracy inspections between 2019 and 2023."

Provided the $15 million is approved by a New Jersey court in March, shoppers will be able to file a "claim award starting at $10 and rising to the full amount of the overpayment," Yeoman explains. Filers will need to provide documentation proving the overcharge, such as receipts or photos of receipts and shelving sale signs.

"Consumers who cannot supply documentation can still claim a $3 discount on one $10 purchase, available on certain days," Yeoman reports. "The company has denied wrongdoing in the cases."

Somalis found refuge in a small Minnesota town, but now they're afraid to leave their homes

A Somali grocery store sign in Willmar, Minn.
(Photo via Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota)

Over the past 30 years, the small farming town of Willmar, Minnesota, has become home to Somali families fleeing civil war and famine. The community of roughly 20,000 residents has welcomed so many Somalis that "a lively stretch downtown is called 'Little Mogadishu' because Somalis run more than a dozen storefront businesses," reports Joe Barrrett of The Wall Street Journal.

Despite their dedication to family and entrepreneurial contribution, many Willmar Somalis are afraid to leave their homes after "President Donald Trump lashed out against immigrants from Somalia, calling them 'garbage' and saying he doesn’t want them in the U.S.," Barrett writes. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have reportedly intensified raids in Minnesota after Trump's comments. 

Somalis across Minnesota have already been "shaken by a sprawling fraud scandal that has put the state’s Somali community in the national spotlight and drawn Trump’s ire," Barrett explains. Federal prosecutors say dozens of people -- almost all of whom are from the Somali community -- used fake businesses to steal millions from the Federal Child Nutrition Program, beginning in April 2020.

Location of Willmar within Kandiyohi 
County (Wikipedia maps) 

Willmar leaders don't see the scandal as a fair representation of the Somali population living in the U.S. Willmar's mayor, Doug Reese, told Barrett, “I can honestly say I haven’t encountered any bad Somalis. I mean, there’s probably some, but by and large, they’re good people.”

If Willmar's Somalis were forced to leave, it would deeply wound the town's economy. Rollie Nissen, a 79-year-old Willmar Republican leader, told Barrett, "I don’t think [Trump] should be painting with a broad brush. We should get rid of the people who are here illegally, not ship everybody back to Somalia or Mexico or Venezuela.”

A growing company pins its success on rural workers who have 'grit, grind. . . and aptitude.'

The Provalus website boasts about the company's commitment to "revitalizing historically underutilized business zones in rural downtown communities." (Provalus graphic)

Instead of outsourcing work to other countries, big-business service partner Provalus establishes offices in rural towns in the U.S., where it "finds people who are eager for jobs that will teach them 21st-century skills but who have few opportunities," reports Lauren Weber of The Wall Street Journal. The company's unusual playbook could become a "model for creating jobs in often-overlooked pockets of the country."

Provalus provides insurance-claims processing, cybersecurity, IT help desk coverage and other services to larger companies that need additional support. The company is intentionally expanding into rural America, where it works to identify potential employees with aptitude rather than requiring years of experience.

Chuck Ruggiero, the company's founder, told Weber, "There is an untapped labor market in rural America. They have the grit, the grind, and many have the aptitude."

The company's fourth location in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, which opened in 2022, is an example of an area that aligns with the niche demographics Provalus seeks out. Weber explains, "No major highways or railroads run through Tahlequah. The 16,000-person town in northeastern Oklahoma has a poverty rate of 20.3%. . . . The average individual income hovers around $30,000."

As an employer, Provalus competes with area retailers and restaurants for workers and pay usually starts around $13 to $14 per hour. But unlike many hourly jobs, the "wage potential at Provalus is high for some, and the benefits package is generous," Weber reports. "Health insurance costs $1 per paycheck. For the first six months, employees receive scheduled raises every 60 days."

Provalus clients such as Chick-fil-A and the Navy Federal Credit Union have signed up, at least in part, because they like the company's commitment to rural American workers. Weber adds, "They also reap the benefits of onshore services: Time zones line up, data is easier to protect, and site visits don’t require overnight flights."

Rural communities hit hard by deaths from explosion at ammunition plant in Tennessee

 Photo by Jeff Kingma, Unsplash

An explosion at a rural Tennessee ammunition plant that killed 16 people on Oct. 10 has “shaken the small, tight-knit communities in Hickman and Humphreys Counties,” Ashley Ahn reported for The New York Times.

“Witnesses said the explosion was so powerful that it rattled homes at least a dozen miles away and generated a plume of smoke large enough to register on the weather radar of a Nashville television station,” Ahn wrote.

The ammunition plant, which manufactures demolition charges and explosives, is a major contributor to the economies of rural communities in Hickman and Humphreys counties.

The police and other agencies such as the FBI are still investigating the cause of the explosion.

“You want me to be honest? It’s hell,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said in a press conference. “It’s hell on us. It’s hell on everybody involved.” 

For rural communities where everyone knows everybody, the devastation of the tragedy is personal. Many law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene of the explosion knew workers who were killed and families who were affected. 

And it hit hard for Davis, who had to give briefings to close friends and neighbors.

"It starts hitting me who these folks really are to me — it’s hard for me to hold that emotion,” Davis said in an interview with Emily Cochrane for The New York Times.  

Rural Assembly Everywhere 2025 is all about rural people and regions flourishing even when resources are limited

Rural Assembly Everywhere is less than two weeks away. 

It's time to rev your rural engines and sign up for the virtual Rural Assembly Everywhere event happening on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., E.T.

Rural leaders, community members, advocates and allies are invited to join this free, virtual gathering. Register here.

Virtual participants will have access to all programming, speaker panels and real-time chat with rural leaders across the country. The event is broadcast live via Crowdcast, which allows participants to ask questions and engage in discussions with one another before and during the event. Find more details here.

Everywhere 2025 highlights this year's theme: "A Bigger Pie: Cultivating Abundance in a Time of Scarcity." Event conversations and resources will delve into actionable ways to shift scarcity mindsets, enabling more rural communities to continue growing with renewed and resilient spirits.

The Rural Assembly and Everywhere 2025 are part of the Center for Rural Strategies.

Montana small-business owner touts restoration, permanence of 2017 tax laws

Robert Majerus

Tax breaks and job reforms from President Donald Trump's first term helped jump-start and strengthen rural businesses, but many of those provisions already have expired or will end in 2025 unless Congress acts soon, writes Robert Majerus in his opinion for InsideSources. "Many of the 2017 tax law’s most essential cuts and deductions run out at the end of the year, and others already need to be restored."

Provisions that already have been phased out and need restoration include the "20% qualified business income deduction, which many small businesses have benefited from, as well as the immediate expensing of research and development and equipment," Majerus explains. "For farmers, the ability to expense these investments in the same year that they are made and brought online makes a huge difference, supporting innovation in the agricultural economy."

One of the most important changes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made was to reduce the "corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, bringing the tax burden on U.S. businesses more in line with other countries," Majerus points out. "The TCJA provided more incentives for many small businesses to restructure themselves as C-corporations to take advantage of the lower tax rates."

To maintain profits and support continued small business growth, it is "critical for lawmakers to avoid calls to increase the corporate tax rate to help pay for the much-needed extensions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s economy-growing tax cuts," Majerus explains. "Reverting to a high corporate tax rate would be akin to raising taxes on Main Street and rural businesses that struggle to keep their doors open after years of high inflation."

Part of President Trump's presidential campaign included promises to "revitalize middle America," Majerus writes. "Now, these small businesses and communities that were helped in 2017 are the ones that will see the most gains wiped out if these tax cuts are not extended and made permanent."

The House has passed its support for reinstating and extending TCJA provisions. Majerus adds, "It’s time for the Senate to move forward while acknowledging the time limit businesses have before these expiring tax cuts go into effect at the end of the year. Time is short."

Robert Majerus is a member of the Community Business Alliance and a small-business owner in Montana.

Farmers in North Carolina share concerns about tariffs' effects on their businesses after a hard agricultural year

North Carolina farmers worry about tariff effects. 
(Adobe Stock Photo)

President Trump's tariff policies are affecting farmers' harvest plans, and some of them are concerned about the stability of their profits.

Cleve Wootson Jr. wrote in an article for the Washington Post that in North Carolina, farmers are struggling.

“Midway through the spring planting season, farmers in a state whose electoral votes went to Trump in the past three elections are struggling with the unpredictability of his tariffs, which threaten their access to foreign markets and add a heavy dose of uncertainty to an already capricious undertaking. The presidential complications are simultaneously logistical, economic and political,” reported Wootson.

The added stress of new and changing tariffs are not helping an “already difficult agricultural year” in a state that has been hit with a hurricane and drought affecting the whole state, according to what Democratic state representative, Eric Ager, told Wootson.

Eric's brother, Jamie, farms just outside of Asheville and said he, his customers, and colleagues are feeling the stress. Jamie told Wootson that while farmers “are worried that their crops will be taxed out of overseas business,” restaurants he sells to have raised their prices, and a school he provides beef to has had to stop the program that allowed them that opportunity.

These worries rub salt in the wound of farmers who are also having a harder time getting “assistance with support and subsidy programs” due to cuts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Rash of federal firings will hurt rural communities' economic health and development possibilities

Map by Sarah Melotte, The Daily Yonder, from Bureau of Labor Statistics data

The Trump administration's federal employee purge has plunged several sectors into chaos and disarray. Some firings include rural workers employed by public land agencies. "In a radical move to stave off perceived bureaucratic bloat, the administration has laid off thousands of federal employees," reports Sarah Melotte of The Daily Yonder. "Over a quarter million federal employees are stationed in rural counties across the country."

By cutting federal payrolls, the Trump administration hopes to fund part of its "proposed $4.5 trillion in tax cuts," Melotte explains. "The firings will hurt many rural communities that rely on the federal government for a large share of their economic base."

The loss of government jobs is particularly harmful to rural communities because federal positions generally pay better and will be more difficult for individuals to replace. Melotte reports, "In 2023, wages in rural private sector jobs were $50,600 per job, on average, compared to $79,300 per job in the federal government. . . . Federal jobs only make up 1.6% of the total rural workforce, but in many rural communities, they are one of the largest employers.

Explaining the domino effect federal firings could have on rural communities, Megan Lawson, from Headwaters Economics, told Melotte, "Especially in the West, where many federal layoffs are affecting public land agencies, these employees will not be able to manage our natural resources and serve the public. Our gateway communities whose economies depend on natural resources or recreation on federal land will feel the ripple effects when the resources and their visitors aren't being managed well. It's unclear how quickly these effects will be felt."

Nationwide, the tally of federal wages paid to rural employees is substantial. "Federal wages accounted for $21 billion in non-metropolitan, or rural, counties in 2023," Melotte adds. So far, the Trump administration fired more than 1,000 Department of Veteran Affairs employees and cut 3,400 Forest Service jobs.

Opinion: Services for Kansas rural communities get chopped by D.C. 'wrecking crew'

An old barn stands on an abandoned homestead in
southwest Kansas. (Photo by Kevin Hardy, Stateline)

Rural communities often count on the Department of Agriculture for housing, food, economical and educational support. In rural Kansas, those foundational community pillars are being pulled apart, writes fifth-generation Kansan Christy Davis in her opinion for the Kansas Reflector.

"I worked for two and half years to rebuild what the first Trump administration tore down," Davis writes. "And now I have an unparalleled (and unenviable) perspective as I watch the second Trump administration, in just a few short weeks, dismantle the federal programs that feed, house and employ his rural constituents."

The historical and ongoing impact of USDA Rural Development programs in Kansas is "hard to overstate," Davis explains. "The programs make investments that the private sector can’t do alone. With grants, direct loans and loan guarantees, RD offers workable financing for roads, water systems, sustainable energy, broadband, telehealth, hospitals, clinics, housing and businesses in rural America."

"To ensure that farmers have equitable access to critical programs, USDA’s Farm Service Agency and National Resources Conservation Service have long had offices in nearly every Kansas county, staffed with hundreds of Kansans who can help farmers apply," Davis writes. "Trump’s policies are devastating to the 2% of rural Americans engaged in farming. But what about the other 98%? The system is failing the communities that have already suffered decades of disinvestment."

"I am proud of the progress we made for rural Kansas in my short tenure. But I’m confounded at how quickly and easily the 'wrecking crew' has reversed it," Davis writes. "I am a huge advocate for making it easier to remove and replace ineffective employees and retain the best. The new administration’s approach to civil service has had the opposite effect. . . .Those who accepted DOGE’s recent buyout offers were top performers and seasoned employees."

Opinion: Answers to rural community struggles can be found in rural America, and solutions need to be shared.

If solutions were broadly shared, more rural places
would flourish. (Photo by Aaron Burden, Unsplash)

Stagnant economic growth and overall decline can plague small-town America, but it doesn't have to be that way, writes Donald W. Macke in his opinion for The Daily Yonder. "Somewhere in rural America, there are answers and solutions to the challenges."

After spending five decades working with "remote, smaller, and distressed rural communities," Macke writes. "I believe the greatest asset for rural prosperity can be found in rural America. . . . Unfortunately, we do a horrible job exchanging this knowledge between innovators and solution creators with those in search of answers to their development questions."

Tiny Ord, Nebraska, has some solutions to share. Macke writes, "In 1999, a small group of leaders in Ord began something special. This small and agriculturally dependent community ravaged by the 1980s Agricultural Crisis, came back rooted in empowering leadership, a commitment to invest, and entrepreneur-focused development. During the following quarter of a century, Ord and its Valley County Region diversified from a two to an eight-sector economy and prosperity." The ways and means Ord deployed to build success could help other communities.

A platform should be built where those in need can connect with rural innovators who have answers. To form that base, the USDA's yearly $5 billion budget for rural development could be leveraged. Macke writes, "What if just 0.1% of this annual funding stream or $20 million was dedicated to supporting learning exchange strategies among rural states and territories, and their communities? A very modest amount that could be leveraged with another $20 million from corporate America, and another $20 million from major foundations creating a $60 million fund."

Macke adds, "Employing the Western Australian model, a government-funded networking and exchange program designed to encourage learning and exchange between communities, could capture innovation and solution learning, create regional and national resource libraries, support video-based exchange programs, and provide grants allowing rural community delegations to actually visit solutions communities. "

Three ways the new administration could help rural America meet its challenges

Helping younger farmers helps local land stay
locally owned. (Abobe Stock photo)

Seeking a voice and change small-town America needs, many rural voters rallied for President Donald Trump to return to the White House. Now that he's back in the Oval Office, there are three ways his administration could work with Congress to help rural America face its challenges, write Randolph Hubach and Cody Mullen for The Conversation.

Health care is a good place to start.
Rural Americans are more likely to receive Medicaid or Medicare health care coverage and more vulnerable to negative impacts from policy or funding changes. "Funding from those federal programs affects rural hospitals, and rural hospitals are struggling," Hubach and Mullen explain. "Nearly half of rural hospitals operate in the red today, and over 170 rural hospitals have closed since 2010."

They recommend government funding continue for the Low-volume Hospital Adjustment Act and the rural emergency hospital model because both programs address rural health care providers' financial needs. Additional support and expansion of rural telehealth services is also needed.

Help small towns address affordable housing.
Like much of the country, rural communities lack affordable housing. To help small towns create housing solutions, the new administration should support the "bipartisan Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, which calls for creating a new federal tax credit to spur the development and renovation of family housing in distressed urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods," Hubach and Mullen add. "The Section 502 Direct Loan Program through the Department of Agriculture could be expanded with additional funding to enable more people to receive subsidized mortgages."

Keep local lands locally owned.
Rural businesses and landowners tend to care about the communities they call home. Congress could support rural land ownership through the "proposed Farm Transitions Act [that] would establish a commission on farm transitions to study issues that affect locally owned farms and provide recommendations to help transition agricultural operations to the next generation of farmers and ranchers," Hubach and Mullen add.

The Trump administration also could continue assistance for young farmers. "About 30% of farmers have been in business for less than 10 years, and many of them rent the land they farm," they write. "Programs such as USDA’s farm loan programs and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program help support local land purchases and could be improved to identify and eliminate barriers that communities face."

How one N.C. town is straddling 'ground-shaking development' while maintaining its small-town charm

Siler City, N.C. has been a farming community since the late 1880s. (Siler City photo)

A small North Carolina town known for its "Andy Griffith Show" connections works to embrace big business investments without sacrificing its rural charm. It's a balancing act that many Siler City residents want to see succeed, reports Bill Horner III for Business NC.

The town is a "relatively poor, formerly industrial-rich town fighting for traction, stability and identity. . . .With one caveat: Wolfspeed and Toyota are creating ground-shaking development to the tune of about $19 billion," Horner explains. "Wolfspeed has pledged 1,800 jobs at its $5 billion silicon carbide plant. . . . Toyota’s $13.9 billion battery manufacturing plant is expected to create an additional 1,500 jobs."

Location of Siler City, N. C.
(Wikipedia map)

That's a lot of investment and people for the town of roughly 8,000 residents to manage; however, Siler City officials have already begun to assimilate the town's new prospects. Horner adds, "The changes in Siler City aren’t just in new faces and construction. The town's mayor, Donald Matthews, is enthused about momentum and new initiatives, including a visitors center. . . .The town has signed a service agreement for water and sewer. . . . Downtown-wide Wi-Fi is on the horizon."

To help build retail infrastructure, Siler City officials "hired Josh Harris, the former athletic director at the local high school, to become the town chamber’s first executive director. Nearly 120 businesses have since joined," Horner reports.

Harris told Horner, "It’s a great place to live and enjoy your time, and raise your family. What happens in the next 10 years. . . is hard to predict. But the potential is there.” Horner writes, "Harris recognizes [Siler City's] farming roots and the need to preserve agriculture and grow agribusiness. His family’s Harris Homeplace Farm, in nearby Snow Camp, sells grass-fed meats directly to consumers."

Harris sees incoming businesses and residents as a way to make Siler City a "generational community." He told Horner, "I’m the sixth generation on our family farm, and our family’s been here a long time. . . . I needed to get my hands involved in this because I want this to be a great place to live in 30 years — not for me, but for my kids."

Shopping rural helps small communities -- and it's a romp through one-of-a-kind gifts, practical gear and artful whimsy

Celebrating all the holidays in November and December can be more fun when shopping rural in-store or online. When gift-givers choose to buy from small-town businesses, they support local communities and get to spend their hard-earned gift-giving dollars on delightful, original items that can't be found at larger retailers. Below are just a few stops for readers to browse and hopefully, take time to enjoy the ingenuity, resourcefulness and craftsmanship rural businesses offer.

Mohr's art captures rich rural moments.

The art of Bonnie Mohr captures the beauty and spirit of life lived closer to nature. Whether it's cows, cats, old trucks, luscious landscapes or children playing in the snow, Mohr's work captures the unique perspective and warm wisdom of rural living. 

Inspired by the 1803 diary writings of midwife and tallow candle maker, Martha Ballard, 1803 Candles celebrate the nostalgia of simpler times. Like Ballard's candles, 1803 Candles are made by hand. Located in tiny, Waterman, Illinois, many of the company's employees are moms who work while their children are in school. 1803 Candles can be purchased online but can be discovered and smelled at a local shop with this handy finder.

Rural Cloth promotes rural as a lifestyle and strives to sell
high quality clothes that tout fashion and function.

Rural clothing styles are just as diverse as rural people, but for giftgivers seeking ranch, farm or outdoor life gear, the options start with flannel and go beyond. There's Rural Cloth for "those who live in small towns, like rodeos, bull riding, hunting, fishing, cold beer, backyard BBQs, and football." Duluth Trading is also a very rural pick. Headquartered in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, the company is serious about rural Americans being comfortable and ready for anything. The company even has "Fire Hose Workwear" and heirloom gardening bib overalls. Find a local store here.

Shop Rural can supply ideas and inspiration for gift-giving budgets of all sizes. The site supports "Small Towns and Small Batches" for hand-picking gifts that are special and support local artisans. The options go from craft woodworking to whimsical gnome-shaped soaps made from goat milk. Shop Rural is for small-town businesses only, so there's no mass production and the site does not take commissions. Shop Rural is still growing and has artist listing packages from $2 to $8.

Bookshop.org makes supporting independent bookstores simple. Avid readers need books, and bookgivers can choose a favorite rural/local bookstore to receive the full profit from their Bookshop.org purchases. Many smaller bookstores also offer book purchases through their own websites, which are "powered" by Bookshop. In Hazard, Kentucky, a local bookstore called "Read Spotted Newt" has a website full of local offerings along with the option to order books directly from its site through Bookshop.

When perusing the web for outdoor adventure and nature lover gifts, Rural is Rad is a stop that offers an online database featuring local businesses in Colorado. The site has beanies, nature notebooks, hand-knitted hats and gloves, specialty ski apparel, hiking equipment and hiking guides and journals to go with it.

Shopping rural helps small communities -- and it's a romp through one-of-a-kind gifts, practical gear and artful whimsy

Celebrating all the holidays in November and December can be more fun when shopping rural in-store or online. When gift-givers choose to buy from small-town businesses, they support local communities and get to spend their hard-earned gift-giving dollars on delightful, original items that can't be found at larger retailers. Below are just a few stops for readers to browse and hopefully, take time to enjoy the ingenuity, resourcefulness and craftsmanship rural businesses offer.

When perusing the web for outdoor adventure and nature lover gifts, Rural is Rad is a stop that offers an online database featuring local businesses in Colorado. The site has beanies, nature notebooks, hand-knitted hats and gloves, specialty ski apparel, hiking equipment and hiking guides and journals to go with it.

Mohr's art captures rich rural moments.

The art of Bonnie Mohr captures the beauty and spirit of life lived closer to nature. Whether it's cows, cats, old trucks, luscious landscapes or children playing in the snow, Mohr's work captures the unique perspective and warm wisdom of rural living. 

Inspired by the 1803 diary writings of midwife and tallow candle maker, Martha Ballard, 1803 Candles celebrate the nostalgia of simpler times. Like Ballard's candles, 1803 Candles are made by hand. Located in tiny, Waterman, Illinois, many of the company's employees are moms who work while their children are in school. 1803 Candles can be purchased online but can be discovered and smelled at a local shop with this handy finder.

Rural Cloth promotes rural as a lifestyle and strives to sell
high quality clothes that tout fashion and function.

Rural clothing styles are just as diverse as rural people, but for giftgivers seeking ranch, farm or outdoor life gear, the options start with flannel and go beyond. There's Rural Cloth for "those who live in small towns, like rodeos, bull riding, hunting, fishing, cold beer, backyard BBQs, and football." Duluth Trading is also a very rural pick. Headquartered in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, the company is serious about rural Americans being comfortable and ready for anything. The company even has "Fire Hose Workwear" and heirloom gardening bib overalls. Find a local store here.

Bookshop.org makes supporting independent bookstores simple. Avid readers need books, and bookgivers can choose a favorite rural/local bookstore to receive the full profit from their Bookshop.org purchases. Many smaller bookstores also offer book purchases through their own websites, which are "powered" by Bookshop. In Hazard, Kentucky, a local bookstore called "Read Spotted Newt" has a website full of local offerings along with the option to order books directly from its site through Bookshop.

Shop Rural can supply ideas and inspiration for gift-giving budgets of all sizes. The site supports "Small Towns and Small Batches" for hand-picking gifts that are special and support local artisans. The options go from craft woodworking to whimsical gnome-shaped soaps made from goat milk. Shop Rural is for small-town businesses only, so there's no mass production and the site does not take commissions. Shop Rural is still growing and has artist listing packages from $2 to $8.

Growing up on a junkyard helped this sculpture artist learn how to 'find beauty in the overlooked'

Book cover jacket of Jeffie Brewer's newly released book Joy Machine  (K.Co Press graphic)

Growing up on a junkyard may sound depressing, but for Jeffrey or "Jeffie" Brewer, an East Texas native sculpture artist, his childhood days living among discarded things helped him develop his quirky, playful artistic style. He shares some of his artistic wisdom and childhood experiences with Olivia Weeks of The Daily Yonder. A condensed version of their Q&A is shared below.

Weeks: Tell me about yourself — who are you, what do you do, and where do you live?

Brewer: I’m just an artist specializing in colorful, silly, sometimes thoughtful sculptures that bring a touch of playfulness to public spaces, private homes, galleries, and museums. I live and work in East Texas, where I make things out of metal, often inspired by my childhood, the natural world, and whatever is rattling around in my brain at any given moment.

Weeks: Can you tell me about your town, Nacogdoches, and maybe a little about East Texas in general?

Brewer: Nacogdoches and East Texas in general have a character all their own – there’s something deeply rooted, raw, and nostalgic about the place. It’s home to lush, dense forests, rolling fields that stretch endlessly, and a lot of Texas history. The area has a quiet charm that speaks to a slower way of life, full of folks who are deeply connected to this place. . . . At my core, I am a redneck, with a thin veneer of culture and worldliness.

Weeks: In your book, Joy Machine, you write about growing up on a junkyard, and about how formative it was to your work. What were those early artistic explorations like? Did they all start with other people’s junk?

Jeffie Brewer's art brings a sense of playfulness into spaces.
(Photo by David Kimling via The Daily Yonder)

Brewer: Growing up in the junkyard taught me to find beauty in the overlooked, to take pieces from the past and either repurpose them or simply collect them. It was more a place for learning about industrial tools and working with my hands than a place for making art, per se. . . . The junkyard offered a space to destroy and rebuild, almost like a lens to see the world through. It gave me skills and memories that would later shape my understanding of what art could and would be.

Weeks: You seem to have always been into monsters and animals and creatures of all kinds — I’m thinking of your lovely 'Burds.' Where does that come from? And what’s your relationship like to the characters? Do they have personalities to you?

Brewer: Animals, creatures, and whimsical shapes have always fascinated me – they offer such freedom for imagination. 'Burds,' and other characters, let me play with personality, form, and storytelling. I see each creature as having its own charm and quirks, and in many ways, they become real to me, carrying a personality as I work on them.

Jeffie Brewer's book, Joy Machine, was released this month from K.Co Press.

Many rural hospitals have reduced services or closed, but some communities are building new or updating old ones

New hospital construction in Sublette County, Wyoming.
(Sublette County Hospital District photo via KFF)

Some rural communities in Wyoming, Kansas and Georgia are "bucking the trend" and building new hospitals instead of closing them. Sublette County, Wyoming, is one of those places. The county has never had a hospital, but it's building a 10-bed, 40,000-square-foot hospital, "with a similarly sized attached long-term care facility," reports Sarah Jane Tribble of KFF Health News. "New full-service hospitals with inpatient beds are rare in rural America, where declining population has spurred decades of downsizing and closures." The county's residents approved a tax increase to help fund their build.

Wyoming Hospital Association President Eric Boley, told Tribble, "To be honest with you, it even seems strange to me." Small rural “hospitals are really struggling all across the country." Tribble writes, "There is no official tally of new hospitals being built in rural America, but industry experts such as Boley said they’re rare. . . . Nearly 150 rural hospitals have closed or converted to smaller operations since 2010."

To stem rural hospital closures, the federal government began offering hospitals the option to remain open as emergency care facilities. "Since January 2023, when the program took effect, 32 of the more than 1,700 eligible rural hospitals have joined the program," Tribble explains. Tony Breitlow, a rural health care expert, told Trible that for some rural hospital groups, transitioning to emergency care only is an example of “systems figuring out how to remain robust and viable.”

Meanwhile, some rural areas have the funding to build new care facilities. "Freeman Health System, based in Joplin, Missouri, announced plans last year to build a new 50-bed hospital across the state line in Kansas," Tribble reports. "Paula Baker, Freeman’s president and chief executive, said the system is building for patients in the southeastern corner of the state who travel 45 minutes or more to its bigger Joplin facilities for care."

Some hospital developments in Wyoming and other states have tapped into federal dollars for support.  "Since 2021, the Department of Agriculture's Rural Community Facilities Programs have awarded $2.24 billion in loans and grants to 68 rural hospitals for work that was not related to an emergency or disaster," Tribble adds. "Nearly all the projects are replacements or expansions and updates of older facilities."

In rural Leeds, Alabama, a family hanger business continues to fight foreign competition and 'unfair' international trade

Milton Magnus and his son, Mack, share their family
business story. (M&B Hangers photo)

With their super-cheap product prices and ubiquitous presence in U.S. chain stores, Chinese companies began wiping out small U.S. business manufacturers beginning in the 1990s. But not every business decided closing was the only option. Milton Magnus, an American steel wire hanger maker from rural Leeds, Alabama, decided fighting back was the only way his family business, M&B Hangers, might survive, reports Chao Deng of The Wall Street Journal. "Magnus [has been] waging a 22-year war against what he sees as unfair trade by firms on the other side of the world."

Deng explains, "He helped persuade the Commerce Department in 2008 to impose duties of up to 187% on imports of Chinese hangers, after arguing that China was selling its products at unfairly cheap prices. He has alleged U.S. tariff evasion in cases involving several American importers. . . "

His efforts have also led to investigations and suits against other Asian countries, which were often entangled with Chinese businesses. "Magnus and his lawyers filed trade cases in 2011 against Taiwan and Vietnam. The Commerce Department imposed tariffs," Deng reports. "Then, hangers from Thailand, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka started popping up."

Despite his participation in legislative wins, such as the Enforce and Protect Act, "which ultimately passed in 2016, [and] allowed Magnus to file claims of tariff evasion with U.S. Customs and Border Protection against a host of American hanger importers," Deng writes, "the overall effect was like a Band-Aid on a bigger problem." Magnus told Deng, "It’s like a roller coaster. We file a trade case, demand for us goes way up, then there’s a new way of circumvention and demand goes down."

Magnus' fight is not over. He "feels that Washington has finally come around to his view that China is the U.S.’s largest economic threat, although he thinks more protection for businesses like his is needed," Deng reports. "Magnus says he spends about a third of his time on his own legal battles. He sees tariffs as worth the trouble if they help save his Alabama factory, which now employs 50 people. . . . M&B Hangers is one of the last remaining U.S.-based manufacturers of its type."

High school students help to run this rural grocery store in Nebraska; 'It's a symbol of small-town grit'

Student Ariel Shields doing work-based learning class
at Circle C. (Courtesy photo via Flatwater Free Press)

Small-town grocery stores have closed at an alarming rate over the past two decades. "Teachers in Cody-Kilgore, a small district nestled in the Nebraska Sandhills, were determined not to let that be their town's story," reports Heidi Beguin of the Flatwater Free Press. They wondered if a student-run grocery store could be the answer.

If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, teachers, administrators, parents and the project's workhorses -- students -- all got on board to support the idea. "Nearly two decades after the idea first surfaced, the Circle C Market – a student-run grocery store . . . continues to serve Cody and the nearby areas," Beguin writes. The store is open six days a week and "represents far more than groceries. It’s a symbol of small-town grit, of neighbors helping neighbors."

Community tenacity is great, but so are the hands-on labor and management skills students learn running the market. And the village "gets a local option in what would otherwise be a grocery desert, with the nearest option being a 40-mile drive down U.S. Highway 20 to Valentine," Beguin explains. "Enrollment in the district has ticked up slightly from 140 students in the 2013-14 school year to 156 currently. Earlier this summer, voters approved a bond to build a new school."

Stacey Adamson was one of the original teachers who floated the idea of a student-run grocery, and she has watched the people and students grow through the project's development. She "believes the learning experience for the students, some of whom come from hard home lives, is worth the challenge. 'By the end of their time there … they will look you in the eye. They’ll say ‘good afternoon.’ They’ll say, ‘thank you. Can I carry your groceries to the car? It’s a game changer for a lot of kids.' Circle C has persisted during a tough time for Nebraska’s rural grocery stores."